Specifications

The numbers, and where they came from

Read from NovaStar's published specification document, not copied from another seller. Dealer listings for this model circulate 8.8 million pixels, 70 W and 13 lb; none of those are what the manual says.

Capacity

Loading capacity
9,000,000 pixels
Layers
4 independent, up to 4 × 4K, Z-order adjustable
Max input
8192 × 8192
Max output
16384 × 16384
Bit depth
8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit

Inputs

HDMI
3 × HDMI 2.0, in + loop
DisplayPort
1 × DP 1.2
SDI
1 × 12G-SDI, in + loop
Genlock
1 × in + loop — bi-level, tri-level, blackburst

Outputs

Ethernet
20 × Gigabit, Neutrik etherCON
Optical
4 × 10G
Audio
1 × SPDIF
Control
2 × Ethernet control, 1 × auxiliary

Chassis and power

Rack units
2U, 19-inch
Dimensions
482.6 × 94.2 × 467.0 mm
Net weight
7.5 kg (16.5 lb) — 10.5 kg shipped
Power input
100–240 V~, 50/60 Hz, 1.5 A
Max consumption
95 W
Operating temp.
−20 °C to +50 °C

Source: NovaStar MX40 Pro LED Display Controller Specifications, checked 2026-09-20. Firmware and hardware revisions move these numbers and we are not notified, so the date is part of the specification. Ask and we will confirm any row against the current document before you order.

Sizing

When it is the wrong answer

Either side of the MX40 Pro sits a model that suits a different shape of job — a smaller fixed room below, a modular chassis above. We will not print a pixel count at which you should switch: that depends on your cabinet, and we would rather check the layout than have you act on a number we made up.

Below it — MX30

The value pick for meeting rooms, small sanctuaries and lobby walls, rated at 6.5 million pixels across 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports. The trap is buying it for a wall that is about to grow: a second MX30 plus the genlock work costs more than one MX40 Pro would have.

MX40 Pro

Default spec

Our default recommendation for a serious fixed 4K install. Rated at 9 million pixels across 20 Gigabit Ethernet and 4×10G optical ports, which covers almost every corporate lobby, house of worship and retail flagship we are asked about. Send the cabinet layout and we will check it against that rating before you buy, rather than after the wall is up.

Above it — MX6000 Pro

Specify this when the build is genuinely 8K or when the card slots are the point — you can mix 1G and 5G output in one chassis and re-card it later rather than replace it. On a 4K job it is over-bought; the MX40 Pro does that work for less.

What else the run needs

A controller is a third of a working system

What decides a controller purchase is rarely the controller. It is whether the unit is on a shelf near you, who maps your cabinets, and whether the cable and power for the run ship with it.

The model is checked before you buy it

Send the cabinet model and the layout. If the MX40 Pro is the wrong tier for that pixel count, we will say so before the invoice, not after the wall is up. Over-specifying costs you money; under-specifying costs you the project.

Commissioning is in-house

NCE certification means the person who maps your cabinets works here. No factory escalation, no time-zone gap on a load-in day, and the same engineer is still reachable when phase two starts.

Cable and power are on the shelf

Cat6 snakes, fibre, and Socapex and Camlock distribution for the same run are stocked in Anaheim, so the install does not stop while a cable ships. See the cable catalogue

On project and multi-unit purchases, send the cabinet count and ask for a quote.

Questions

What buyers ask about this model

How much is the NovaStar MX40 Pro?

$8,868 at PixelPro Productions in Anaheim, California, for a single unit supplied with the factory warranty. Project and multi-unit pricing is quoted privately — send the cabinet count and the install date and a written quote comes back the same business day.

Is the MX40 Pro the right controller for my wall?

Total the finished pixel count, including whatever phase two adds, and compare it against the rated loading capacity above. Our default recommendation for a serious fixed 4K install. Rated at 9 million pixels across 20 Gigabit Ethernet and 4×10G optical ports, which covers almost every corporate lobby, house of worship and retail flagship we are asked about. Send the cabinet layout and we will check it against that rating before you buy, rather than after the wall is up.

Why do your specifications differ from other dealers?

They are read from NovaStar’s own published specification document rather than copied from another seller. Figures in circulation for this model include 8.8 million pixels, 70 W and 13 lb; the manual gives 9,000,000 pixels, 95 W maximum and 7.5 kg net. The document and the date we checked it are printed under the table, so you can verify any row rather than take our word for it.

Do you have it in stock?

Common controller models, the MX40 Pro among them, are held at 3111 E Miraloma Ave, Anaheim. Send the cabinet model and layout and we will confirm availability against your install date in the same reply.

Who commissions it?

Our own engineers. NovaStar NCE certification is held in-house, so cabinet mapping and fault diagnosis happen here rather than as a support ticket into a factory queue — which on a load-in day is the difference between a fix today and a fix after the time-zone gap closes.

Can you install it, or only supply it?

Both. Installation is performed under California contractor licence CSLB #1063528 (General B), which is what allows us to touch structure, conduit and power rather than only hang a screen. We also sell the controller on its own to integrators running their own build.